Kitchen cabinet construction



w. J. HARMQN KITCHEN cABxNET coNsTRucTIoN Aug. 23, 1960 v .2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 28, 1956 4- INVENTOR. WHRREN J. Ha/10h BY W. J. HARMON KITCHEN CABINET CONSTRUC Aug. 23, 1960 TION 2 SheetsfSheet 2 Filed May 28, 1956 JNVENToR/ Wma/EN J. HHH/von TTOENEYS' United States Patent KITCHEN CABINET CONSTRUCTION Warren J. Harmon, Rte. 1, Box 1781, Bremerton, Wash.

Filed May 28, 1956, Ser. No. 587,604

2 Claims. (Cl. S12- 342) lThis invention relates to cabinets and to methods of cabinet construction. More particularly it has reference to the fabricating, from wooden parts or pieces, of what are generally designated as lower kitchen cabinets.

For a better understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention, it will here be explained that cabinets of the general class to which the present invention pertains, can be divided into two characteristic groups, viz, the prebuilt and the custom built. The custom built types are those specically designed in style, size and facilities to meet room space requirements and the taste or desires of the individual customers. These types are necessarily duplicatory in nature and their manufacture result more often in :time consuming and expensive detail.

The pre-built types permit the manufacturer to design the style land select the useable features or facilities to be employed in his product; permitting him also to vanticipate users needs in certain forms of premanufactured units that, in combination, will provide the necessary features and meet typical room dimensions. This process has generally been approached by designers in such way that much emphasis and cost is placed upon the construction of the cabinet body, or housing, rather than upon the actual usable parts or facilities, such as drawers shelves, etc.

The present day pre-built version has resolved itself into a series of cabinets or units of different kinds, adapted to be assembled or joined together in various fashions, these cabinets being only slightly different than the custom models, except in quality and procedure. The only apparent advantage achieved in the pre-built over the custom built being to be able to pre-manufacture in quantity and thereby cut or eliminate some costs.

In view of the foregoing explanatory statements, it has been the principal object of the present invention to provide a kitchen base cabinet fabricating or manufacturing procedure that plates the higher cost of manufacture in the facilities and the lesser expense in the housing or body, thereby putting the consumer dollar to its greatest use.

It is a further object of the invention to devise a system of manufacturing cabinets embodied by this invention, comprising two primary elements; namely, an enclosing housing and a plurality of novel drawer components that are movably contained in the housing; these being herein referred to as the drawer units.

Another objects of the invention is to provide fabricated cabinets, as above stated, wherein the main frame structure or housing comprises certain novel characterizing elements of the same kind, which I designate as the U-frames, and which provide for a certain flexibility in assembly to accommodate the drawer units which may be made in various widths and located and utilized in various combinations to suit needs or desires of the user.

Specifically stated, the objects of this invention reside in the making of base cabinets, each comprising a housr'ice ing or main frame structure containing a plurality of drawer units; the housing having opposite end plates, a top, a base board, an apron, a. plurality of lateral strips and each of the drawer units being movably contained in the housing and each having a top drawer, with shelving or other facilities below; each of which can be moved as a unit, into and from its respective compartment on antifriction slides, or on supporting rollers.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a kitchen base cabinet embodying the improved details of construction of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section, taken in the vertical plane of line 2--2 in Fig. l, showing a special detail of construction in the drawer unit to accommodate the unit to use at the location of a sink basin.

Pig. 3 is a vertical section through one of the drawer units in its longitudinal plane.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a part of the housing or enclosing portion of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a part of a base cabinet, showing a drawer unit having an inclined front end wall.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail that illustrates an alternative form of construction featuring a drawer unit mounted on rollers for its easy movement into and from the housing.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The cabinet of the present invention comprises an enclosing housing, usually secured in fixed position and a plurality of drawer units that are housed therein; each drawer unit being adapted to be moved into and out of a compartment specifically provided therefor in the housing.

The housing is made up of various parts, best shown in Fig. 5, to comprise a at top panel 10, one or more end plates 1'1 as may be required, an apron 12, a base board 13, a plurality of U-frames 14 and a plurality of wall strips 15.

The wall strips are preferably of wood, one inch by three inches in cross-section, and all of a length substantially equal to the length of the cabinet. The U-frames 14 are of special form and used as partitioning members in the housing to define the separate drawer unit compartments therein. These frames are preferably of plywood, 3% to l thick; originally rectangular in outline, and are cut away or recessed from their forward edges rearwardly in such way that each frame is of the U-shape shown and comprises a solid and rigid back edge portion extending the full height of the frame, and upper and lower arm portions 21-21 extending for-v wardly from the rigid back. In some designs the upper arm is slightly longer than the lower ann. The front to rear edge dimension of the U-frarnes is somewhat less than the width of the top panel 10. All U-frames 14 have vertical back edges that are notched at predesignated vertical intervals, as at 22, to receive the wall strips therein, as presently explained, when these parts are brought into assembled relationship.

In the assembling of parts to form the cabinet, the U-frames 14 are set up in vertical parallel planes, faced in the same direction, as indicated by their positions in Fig. 5, and are then tied together in predetermined lateral spacing by the wall strips 15; these strips being extended horizontally and each seated in the aligned notches 22 provided therefor in the back edges of the frames and are securelyV nailed. The strips 15 terminate at their opposite ends flush with 'the outer faces of the U-frames Vwhich are located at the opposite ends of the cabinet.

Thefbase board 13 is then applied in such manner as to join the forward ends of the lower arms 21 of the Uframes together in proper spacing; the board 13 being applied flatly against the vertical forward end edges of the arms, as shown in Fig. 6. This board is just slightly greater in height than the height of the lower arms of the U-frames, as will be'noted by reference to Fig. 6 and the drawer Yunits move into and from position there over.

After the base board 13 has been applied to the lower arms ofthe U-frames, the apron strip 12 is then similarly applied to join the forward ends of the upper arms 21. It is applied and nailed in place flush with the top edge surface of the U-frames.

With the U-frames thus joined, the frame structure so formed is Vthen moved against a back wall and can be secured thereto to the extent desired, by nails driven throughthe strips 15 into the wall. After being thus secured, the frame structure is then squared up and the toppanel placed thereon and nailed alongV its back edge to the upper wall strip; to the U-rames and to the apron. The end panels 11 are then applied flatly over the ends of the frame structure to give it the finished appearance notedA in Fig. 1; these being of the same height of the U-frames and of the same width across its top edge. Itis shown in Fig. l that the top has Van overhang at its end and forward edge and thus can be to the extent desired.

The movable components, which I have designated the drawer units, may be made in various widths predetermined to meet individual desires or space requirements, and the U-frames are spaced in the frame structure to accommodate the units. Each drawer unit has a Vsolid front panel 3) of rectangular form, equal in width. to the width of the compartment by which the unit is to be occupied. At its top, the unit is formed with a drawer, as noted in Fig. 1, which has opposite side members 31--31 and a bottom 32. At its inner end, the drawer unit is fully closed by a panel 33, the upper portion of which panel closes the rear end of the drawer. Extended between the front and rear wall panels 30 and 33, are one or more shelves 35, to which access is had from either side of the unit when it is drawn out. The number of shelves and their arrangement is according to individual desires or requirements. If desired, the shelving can be longitudinally divided by a vertical partition extending lengthwise of the unit, such as that shown at 37 in Figs. 2 and 4. It is shown in Fig. 3 that the partition 37 is of peg boar material and set nearer one side of the unit than the other. utensils therefrom.

.In Fig. 2, I have shown a drawer unit that has a special back wall panel 33x that is recessed as at 38 to adapt the Vunit for use at the location of a sink, such as that shown at 40 in Fig. 2. By so recessing the panel, the unit can be moved into'and from the housing without interfering with sink drain or other plumbing.

For the support of the individual drawer units for easy movement into andY from their respective housing compartments, metal slides, such as shown at 45 in Fig. l,

Vare mountedY horizontally on the side faces yof the Y U-frames V14, extending along the upper arm portions 21 thereof. These slides are not herein described or shown in detail since, per se, they form no part of the inven` tion but preferably they are of the kind known in trade as Knape and Vogt No. 1400 or No. 1300.7 The drawer units are equipped at opposite sides with rollers, as at 46 in Fig. 1, adapted for limited travel upon the slides, and these slides have limited endwise travel on rollers which are mounted on the U-frames. The construction, application and arrangement of these parts being such as to permit the drawer units to be pulled out substantially to their full depths, and to be easily shifted in or out of their compartments to give easy access to drawer shelves from either side. Drawer units are equipped with suitable pulls, such as designated at 48.

The drawer units, as seen in Fig. 1, slide in or out over the top edge of the base board 13. They may be made with vertical front walls, or they may be made with outwardly inclined front panels, as seen in Fig. 6. A f

As an alternative construction, the slides may be omitted and each drawer unit mounted on rollers 50, -as shown in Fig. 7, 4to adapt it to be easilyppulled out from the housing or moved back into it. Also, as noted, this latter drawer unit has a -base board'section 13x made as a part thereof.

In such a cabinet as seen in Fig. l, if electrical surface units are to be employed therein, they would be set down into the top 10, and when this is done, the drawer unit for that particular location may be lowered as may be required, or made to accommodate it as for the sink.

`Cabinets of this kind may be made in angular form for corners, as noted in Fig. l, or made straight to lit any available space.

The peg board permits the hanging of It is not the intent that the drawer units be conned to any specic design or widths, but that the design of each be according to requirements. Widths of units can vary to 'meet any specific location. Compartments are deined between U-frames, and these can be spaced as required. DrawerV units are made to meet desires or requirements, and U-frames are spaced accordingly.

In this method of construction, housings are relatively inexpensive to make and the saving in their cost can be advantageously used to provide better facilities in the drawer units.

While I have described my invention as especially adapted for the making of base cabinets, it is apparent that it can, in the main part, be applied to upper cabinets or other structures,v at least, with slight modications made therein. Therefore, it is not desired that the claims be'restricted to the specific form of structure herein illustrated. Y 4

Furthermore, it is to be understood that slight modifications of the structure shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A cabinet of the character described comprising a frame structure including a plurality of identical Ushaped frames, of flat panel form disposed in laterally spaced relationship, in parallel vertical planes, yand with their open sides faced forwardly, a. plurality of horizontally disposed and vertically spaced wall strips joinin'gfsaid frames across their back edges, a baseboard applied Y across the forward ends of the lower legs of said U-frames and secured thereto, an apron strip applied across the forward ends ofthe upper legs of said U-frames and secured thereto, a horizontal toppanel extended across and secured to the top edges ofthe partitioning frames; said U-frames and top defining forwardly opening compartments between said frames, a drawer unitpdisposed in each of said compartments and means on the U-frames for the support of said drawer `units for veasy sliding movement into and from its compartment throughthe open front of the frame structure; each of saidr drawer units having a flat panel closing it across its yforward end and of such as to serve as a closure for the compartment when the unit is 'fully housed, and Yeach unit having compartments therein opening laterally therefrom and to which access may be had when Vthe lunit is positioned forwardly of the compartment.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein the means supporting said drawer units for movement into and from their compartments are fixed to the side faces (References on following page) 5 References Cited in the le of this patent 2,661,993 UNITED STATES PATENTS 217081147 1,245,543 Wetzel Nov. 6, 1917 1,629,430 Allen May 17, 1927 5 311,147 1,888,742 Schumm Nov. 22, 1932 978,525 1,891,680 Meldahl Dec. 20, 1932 2,466,869 Triller Apr. 12, 1949 2,520,506 Mankk Aug. 29, 1950 6 Little Dec. 8, 1953 Duggan et a1. May 10, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany June 14, 1951 France Apr. 16, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics Magazine, October 1937, page 601. 

